Liberty University
15-6, 6-1BSC
High Point
19-3, 7-0BSC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Point | 25 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Liberty | 23 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 13 | 2 |
High Point Slips by Lady Flames in Five
10/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Game Highlights (Video)
A battle between Big South co-leaders High Point and Liberty went back and forth Tuesday evening at the Vines Center, before the visiting Panthers took the last two sets to pull out a 3-2 (25-23, 21-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-13) victory. With the win, High Point claims sole possession of first place in the conference standings and halts Liberty's 17-match Big South winning streak.
Liberty falls to 15-6 overall and 6-1 in Big South play, despite one of the most impressive matches of Nicki Scripko's (So., OH, Fayetteville, N.C.) career. She led all players in both kills (26) and aces (5), setting new career highs in both categories, and fell just one dig shy of a career best with 16.
High Point extended its winning streak to nine with just its second triumph ever at the Vines Center. The Panthers, led by Ashley Mellott's 20 kills, are now 19-3 overall and 7-0 in the Big South.
The opening stanza set the tone for the evening, as the lead changed hands seven times and there were 17 ties. The score was deadlocked at 23 apiece, when Lindsay Raus' kill lifted High Point into the lead. A Liberty attack error then sealed the Panthers' 25-23 decision in set one.
High Point was efficient offensively during the first set, hitting .448. Leading the way was Mellott, who put down five kills and hit .556. On the Liberty side of the net, Scripko gave a sign of things to come with a set-high six kills and a pair of service aces.
After dropping just its second set of the season to a Big South opponent, Liberty turned things around in the second frame. The Panthers had jumped out to an 8-6 advantage before Scripko gained a Liberty side out with a kill. She then proceeded to serve for five straight points, a run which featured a trio of aces. The 6-0 burst gave the Lady Flames a 12-8 lead, and Liberty would not trail again. Brittany Pacella (R-Jr., RS, Reading, Pa.) put the finishing touches on the Lady Flames' 25-21 win with a kill.
Scripko finished set two with five kills, three aces and five digs, while Pacella added four kills on a .667 attack percentage. Liberty limited High Point to a .188 attack percentage during the stanza, thanks in part to a trio of blocks. Senior Ashley Webber (MB, Lakeside, Calif.) assisted on two of the Lady Flames' rejections.
A late 3-0 surge, keyed by a Mellott kill, enabled High Point to come back to level the score at 23-23 in set three. The teams then combined for three straight service errors, giving Liberty its second set point at 25-24. A thunderous kill by Scripko concluded the ensuing rally and the stanza, with the Lady Flames a 26-24 victor.
The same names rose to the top of the set three stat sheet, as Scripko tallied five kills and five digs for the Lady Flames, while Mellott contributed five kills to High Point's cause.
With its back up against the wall, trailing two sets to one, High Point ran off the first three points of the fourth stanza. The Panthers never trailed during the stanza, although Liberty did tie the score at 21-21 after a High Point service error. The Panthers responded by scoring four of the next five points, closing out a 25-22 triumph on Stephanie Wallin's kill.
Mellott totaled six kills during set four, while Wallin added five. The duo helped High Point hit .324. Meanwhile, Scripko finished with half of Liberty's 16 fourth set kills.
High Point claimed a 6-2 lead early in the fifth and deciding set, helped by two Wallin kills. Reigning Big South Player of the Week Chelaine McCarty (Jr., MB, Houston, Ala.) then fueled a 7-2 Liberty surge. She contributed two blocks and two kills, including one which put the Lady Flames ahead by a 9-8 count.
High Point was able to halt Liberty's momentum and seize control of the contest by tallying the next four points. Wallin and Anna Lott each had kills and teamed up for a block during the run, which made the score 12-9, Panthers. Liberty got back to within a single point twice, but ended up losing the final set and the match, 15-13. The five-set contest took 2:21 to play, Liberty's longest match of the season.
Mellott and Wallin recorded three kills each during the fifth set to lead the Panthers. McCarty added two kills and a pair of blocks for the Lady Flames.
For the match, Liberty owned the advantage in several statistical categories, including kills (71-60), aces (9-3), digs (79-72) and blocks (7-5). However, High Point owned the edge in attack percentage (.273-.209).
Scripko's 26 kills were the most by a Liberty player since current Lady Flames assistant Jennifer (Belk) Vaden had 28 at Charleston Southern on Nov. 5, 2004. Her five aces were also the most by a Lady Flame in 2008.
Three of Scripko's teammates also provided 10 or more kills, including Jessica Nelson (R-Sr., OH, Tokyo, Japan), who was celebrating her 23rd birthday. Nelson totaled 11 kills and a dozen digs, for her third double-double of the year. She also went over the 1,000-dig plateau for her career. Meanwhile, Webber hit a team-high .409 with a season-best 11 kills and McCarty added 10 kills.
Directing the Liberty attack was Kallie Corbin (Jr., S, Beaverton, Ore.), who provided a season-high 60 assists and 15 digs. Meanwhile, Karyl Bacon (So., OH/DS, Temecula, Calif.) led all players with a Liberty season-best 23 digs.
High Point's Wallin complemented Mellott's offensive output with 15 kills of her own. The middle blocker also hit a match-high .484 for the Panthers. Libero Julie Hershkowitz added a team-high 21 digs, while setter Kristina Taylor fashioned a double-double with 48 assists and 13 digs.
The match was Liberty's Dig Pink contest, part of a national initiative to promote breast cancer awareness. In celebration of the event, both teams sported pink socks, and both sides' coaching staffs wore pink Crocs. In addition, Lady Flames head coach Shane Pinder donned a pink dress shirt with a matching pink tie.
Liberty will travel to Winthrop Friday at 7 p.m. for a Big South match. The Lady Flames will be seeking their first victory at the Winthrop Coliseum since 2003.
Meanwhile, the Panthers will head to Gardner-Webb for their next contest, Friday at 7 p.m.
